Nomination of the 25th Commandant of the US Coast Guard

Since I became Secretary, I have had the opportunity to get to know Vice
Admiral Zukunft, and if confirmed he will be a great leader for the future
of the Coast Guard. As a 37 year veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, he has
demonstrated this leadership while serving in a number of different
capacities, including coordinating federal response to the Deepwater Horizon
Spill. During the response, Vice Admiral Zukunft directed more than 47,000
responders, 6,500 vessels and 120 aircraft as the Coast Guard worked to
respond to and recover from the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

Vice Admiral Zukunft currently commands U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area, and
is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and holds advanced degrees
from the U.S. Naval War College and Webster University.

If confirmed as Commandant, Vice Admiral Zukunft will follow another great
leader - Admiral Robert Papp, Jr. I thank Admiral Papp for his years of
service to the U.S. Coast Guard, to the Department of Homeland Security, and
to this Nation, and I look forward to seeing Vice Admiral Zukunft continue
his great work.

Sincerely,

Jeh Charles Johnson
Secretary of Homeland Security

2. The purpose of this list is to keep Auxiliarists as well as all other
interested parties abreast of current developments, policies, manuals, etc.
All information contained herein and linked is OFFICIAL policy and
information.

3. Internet Release and Distribution is Authorized.

4. CG-BSX-1 sends

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DCAPT David G. Porter NY South

NOMINATION OF THE NEXT COMMANDANT OF THE U.S. COAST GUARD -002/14

To: ALAUX
From: CHDIRAUX


1. The following announcement concerning the Secretary of Homeland
Security's nomination for the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard was issued
earlier today:


February 28, 2014

Dear Colleagues,

I am proud to announce President Obama's intent to nominate Vice Admiral
Paul F. Zukunft as the 25th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.

AUXILIARY POLICY CHANGES -003/14

To: ALAUX
From: CHDIRAUX

1. This ALAUX will be in three (3) parts, 003/14, 003a/14 and 003b/14
A. 003a/14 contains file AUXMAN-CHANGE-SUMMARY-03MAR14.pdf
B. 003b/14 contains file CGAUXA-INC-CONSENT-FORM-MAR14.pdf

2. Since the most recent set of changes to the Coast Guard Auxiliary Manual, COMDTINST M16790.1G, were issued in September 2013 (ALAUX 013/13), several other Auxiliary policies described in the manual have been reviewed for appropriate updates. The attached PDF file
(AUXMAN-CHANGE-SUMMARY-03MAR14.pdf) contains new chapter-by-chapter, section-by-section descriptions of changes to the manual that are effective immediately. The file's first page provides a snapshot summary of the sections of the manual that have been changed. These changes focus on updates regarding membership in the Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc.
and the organization and functions of the Auxiliary legal/parliamentary program. A brief summary of their highlights follows:

A. Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc. (CGAuxA, Inc.)
Membership.

(1) Under the authority of 14 U.S.C. §821(c) and
pursuant to provisions of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Manual, the Commandant of the Coast Guard recognizes CGAuxA, Inc. as the only entity established by the Coast Guard Auxiliary National Board that is authorized to manage all fiscal matters and fundraising efforts in support of Auxiliary activities not funded by the Coast Guard. CGAuxA, Inc. is a corporation in good standing organized under the laws of the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporations Act which has been granted not-for-profit status by the Internal Revenue Service under the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C.
§501(c)(3).

(2) Changes in the District of Columbia Nonprofit
Corporations Act require that members of a nonprofit corporation consent to membership. For the purpose of Auxiliary membership, such consent to membership in CGAuxA, Inc. is now a required criterion.

(3) With issuance of this ALAUX, a currently enrolled
Auxiliarist's continuing membership in the Auxiliary shall constitute consent to membership in CGAuxA, Inc. No additional action by a currently enrolled Auxiliarist is required. Effective immediately, a newly enrolling Auxiliarist must sign and submit the attached consent form
(CGAUXA-INC-CONSENT-FORM-MAR14.pdf) as part of his/her Auxiliary enrollment package that is sent to his/her Director of Auxiliary.

B. Roles and Functions of the Auxiliary Legal/Parliamentary
Program.

(1) Improved definition of the roles and functions of
Assistant Chief Counsels for each Auxiliary Area are included in respective sections of the manual.

(2) Improved expectations are described for the
processing of Auxiliary contracts, sales of items, license agreements, and MOUs/MOAs.

3. Directors of Auxiliary and Auxiliary elected officers are requested to give this ALAUX widest dissemination to Auxiliarists.

4. The purpose of this list is to keep Auxiliarists as well as all other interested parties abreast of current developments, policies, manuals, etc.
All information contained herein and linked is OFFICIAL policy and information.

5. Internet Release and Distribution is Authorized.

6. CG-BSX-1 sends

Sent from my iPhone

Low Cost Child/Teen Life Jackets Available for Camps, Schools, Non-Profit Progra

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com

ALEXANDRIA, Va., December 18, 2013 – Non-profit summer camps, schools, or local non-profit organizations providing on the water programs for kids have a strong need for safety, and having right-sized life jackets for kids is key. Now, the BoatUS Foundation's Kids Afloat Program is offering kid/teen-sized, vest-style life jackets for just $5 each. However, supplies are limited and groups need to apply online at www.BoatUS.org/Kids-Afloat by February 28th, 2014. The Foundation will then choose those applications that best match program guidelines and post them to the Foundation's website and Facebook page for public voting in the spring. Those with the most votes will have the opportunity to purchase the deeply discounted life jackets.

The life jackets are Type-II and Type-III vests – the most comfortable non-inflating type available today that normally retail for about $30 each. Applicants are allowed to request up to a total of 50 life jackets in infant, child, youth and teen sizes. 

 

Said BoatUS Foundation Outreach Manager Alanna Keating, "Over the years we've received many requests from groups desperately seeking life jackets. These programs give kids a chance to experience being on the water and at the same time educate them on the importance of life jacket wear. We also hope that by involving the public in selecting the sites that receive the jackets, it will help promote these programs in their own communities," added Keating.

 

The Kids Afloat program is for groups currently offering on the water programming, such as educational boat trips, fishing trips or canoe and kayak excursions that include safe and clean boating in their curriculum. However, groups that don't currently include safe and clean boating education may also apply if they commit to add these topics to their program. "Our ultimate goal is see these kinds of educational programs grow – and keep kids safe while they're participating in them," said Keating.

 

For more information, go to www.BoatUS.org/Kids-Afloat. 

 

DCAPT David G. Porter, Sector NY/S
1st Southern Region

LOSS OF COAST GUARDSMAN

To:     ALAUX
From:   CHDIRAUX
Subj:   LOSS OF COAST GUARDSMAN - xx2/13

1.  FYI:

To the Men and Women of Our Coast Guard Family,

We are saddened to relay news of the tragic loss of Petty Officer Travis
Obendorf, who died following injuries he sustained while deployed with the
Cutter WAESCHE during a search and rescue mission.  As you keep Petty
Officer Obendorf's family and shipmates in your thoughts and prayers, please
also remember we are often called to operate in an environment which
provides little margin of error.  In all that you do, make safety your
highest priority.

CAPT F. Thomas Boross
Chief, Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety


2: ALCOAST 540/13:

UNCLAS //N01000//
ALCOAST 540/13
COMDTNOTE 1000
SUBJ: LOSS OF COAST GUARDSMAN

1. It is with great sadness that I report the loss of Boatswains Mate Third
Class Travis Raymond Obendorf, CGC WAESCHE, who died at 1134 PST today from
injuries sustained on November 11, 2013, while the ship was conducting
search and rescue operations in D17 waters.

2. WAESCHE was north of Cold Bay, Alaska, responding to a SAR case involving
a disabled fishing vessel.  Petty Officer Obendorf was a crew member aboard
WAESCHEs small boat and was severely injured during boat operations while
assisting passengers from the fishing vessel.  Despite a valiant fight over
the past month, Petty Officer Obendorf succumbed to his injuries earlier
today with his family and shipmates at his side.

3. Petty Officer Obendorf stood the watch on the front lines of Coast Guard
operations throughout his nine years of active duty.  He previously served
aboard Coast Guard Cutter ALERT, at Patrol Forces Southwest Asia in Bahrain
and at Coast Guard Station Boston. Throughout his Coast Guard service, Petty
Officer Obendorfs professionalism and commitment ensured that we were always
ready to answer the nations call.  Let us never forget his service and
sacrifice.

4. The entire Service is energized to support his family and shipmates.
Please keep BM3 Obendorf, his family and shipmates in your thoughts and
prayers.

5. Semper Paratus.  VADM John Currier, Acting Commandant, sends.

6. Internet release authorized.

7. CG-BSX-1 sends

 

USCGC WAESCHE (WMSL-751)         

                                

 

DCAPT David G. Porter, Sector NY/S
1st Southern Region

Why Aren't You Talking to Your Shipmates About Sexual Assault

Original Post by Christopher Lagan: December 03, 2013

 

WARNING: This blog post contains explicit language, which may include profanity, references to violence, sexual assault, drug and/or alcohol abuse, and graphic depictions of violent or sexual behavior, which readers may find offensive or disturbing. Reader discretion is advised.

Written by Cmdr. Chris O'Neil, Public Affairs Officer, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Military Campaign Office.

We have all received the message: Create a culture intolerant of sexual assault and eliminate sexual assault from our Coast Guard. We've read SITREPs, ALCOASTs and other blog posts. We participated in unit events during sexual assault awareness month. We've completed mandatory training and some 4,500 Coast Guardsmen have also completed the Coast Guard's award-winning Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Workshop. We've seen media coverage about sexual assault in the military and have listened to Congressional debate over the military justice system's handling of sexual assault. Despite all this communication, we know, as an organization, we still aren't having the kind of discussions and open dialogue that will result in change.

There are many reasons why we don't openly and routinely talk about sexual assault in the military. Societal norms make us uncomfortable when discussing human sexuality and organizational culture makes us uncomfortable when talking about the crimes committed by those in our ranks. The generational, occupational and rank differences within our workforce pose potential barriers to effective communication.

Another obstacle we must overcome is the lack of awareness, or acceptance, that the crime of sexual assault is committed by Coast Guardsmen, against Coast Guardsmen. It's a concept that can be difficult to grasp if you and the people around you adhere to our core values and work in an environment where shipmates are respected as they should be. Your perception is your reality. We need to develop a shared perception, a common understanding of the breadth and severity of sexual assault in the military, what's being done about it and what each of us needs to do.

This blog post, and those that will follow in a series, is a means by which we can begin to shape our shared perception, our shared understanding of the severity of the problem, a shared reality of what must be done to eliminate this behavior from our midst. This blog post is written to directly, frankly, and intrusively inform its readers of the breadth and scope of sexual assault in the Coast Guard – your Coast Guard, our Coast Guard, America's Coast Guard. The survivors of the assaults detailed in the series were contacted prior to publication.

The cases summarized in this series are real, are ugly, and are tragic. The only greater tragedy is if we fail to talk about them, if we fail to learn from them, if we as a Service fail to change.

Our series begins with the two case summaries. The facts are derived directly from records of trial by court-martial, approved by a military judge. These events all happened in your Coast Guard.

A high-endurance cutter's crew was enjoying a foreign port call. A female non-rate in the deck department aboard the cutter joined many other crewmembers, including a married petty officer for whom she worked, at an all inclusive resort. Staying in separate rooms, neither with a roommate, both the petty officer and the underage non-rate drank excessively throughout the day and night, but did not socialize together.

The non-rate consumed tequila in the morning and, by about 5 p.m., experienced an alcohol-induced blackout, remembering only certain parts of the evening.

Meanwhile, another shipmate of the petty officer noted that he was very drunk and advised him to return to his room, advice the petty officer declined to heed. At some later point in the evening, he and the non-rate's paths crossed, and he took her back to his hotel room.

One of his shipmates noticed the petty officer and non-rate walking into the room together but did not intervene, despite knowing the petty officer was married.

The non-rate could not remember how she got to the room and she did not remember consenting to any sexual activity. She said she awoke from her blackout while she was in the petty officer's room as he was penetrating her. When she realized that he was inside of her, she told him to stop and tried to physically push him off her. She said he then looked down at her and laughed but did not stop.

She then started screaming and trying to push him off, but he outweighed her and she could not move him. At one point during the assault, he stated, "Shut up you slut. You like it." He did not stop despite her pleas. She said that she then blacked out again. She awoke later to the sound of the petty officer showering in the room and she left.

She reported the assault to a shipmate several months later, who in accordance with policy reported it to the command. Following an investigation, the petty officer was charged with sexual assault, tried by a general court-martial and was found guilty of rape, making a false official statement and using indecent language, and was sentenced to confinement in a naval brig, a punitive discharge and was required to register as a sex offender.

In another case, two non-rates, a woman and a man, assigned to a shore unit, began a night of drinking at a local bar with other Coast Guard members whom the woman considered friends. The woman drank excessively that night, falling off her bar stool at one point and attracting concern from the bartender about the level of her intoxication.

While her shipmates continued to party at the bar, the male non-rate assisted the female non-rate to the bathroom because she needed help walking. They both entered the bathroom and then began to have sexual intercourse on the bathroom floor.

Still concerned for her welfare, the bartender directed one of her female shipmates to check on her, which she did. She discovered the two having sex on the floor and made them stop. They then returned to the bar.

A short time later the female non-rate and her friends decided to walk home; they were accompanied by the male non-rate. While her friends knew she was very intoxicated, they did not intervene when the pair stopped to kiss on the way home, and did not ask the male to leave her alone.

Arriving at her apartment, her friends stayed outside to smoke, while she went into a stairwell with the male non-rate. After a few moments, the friends heard noises in the stairwell and entered to find the woman and man with their pants down, lying on the stairs. The man was on top of her, and the friends described her body as "limp." The friends managed to get her to her feet and to her apartment door. She was so intoxicated her friends had to unlock and open the door for her.

She later reported that she had been sexually assaulted, stating that she was blacked out, did not remember much of the night, and did not remember consenting to sex. The male non-rate claimed that the sex was consensual.

Following an investigation, he was charged with sexual assault and was tried by general court-martial. After 15 hours of deliberation, the accused was acquitted of all charges.

So what is to be learned from these assaults?

First, it is fairly obvious that excessive consumption of alcohol was a contributing factor in each case. Moreover, while the law states that a person cannot give consent to sexual activity when they are, for whatever reason, unable to appraise the nature of the sexual conduct or unable to decline participation in the sexual activity. The failure to consume alcohol in a responsible, moderate manner clearly resulted in lowered inhibitions and poor judgment by all involved.

In the first case, the survivor was incapable of providing consent due to her level of impairment. In the second case, members of the jury either believed the survivor was in fact capable of consenting, or, that the assailant was reasonably mistaken as to whether she could consent. But why did these incidents ever occur in the first place?

There are other failures here that offer lessons learned. There were opportunities for others to step in, speak up and act decisively to prevent these incidents.

In both cases there were plenty of bystanders, any one of whom could have intervened to prevent: (a) the excessive alcohol consumption, or (b) the situations (including isolation) that left one or more of their shipmates vulnerable. As much as most readers may be thinking bystanders should have taken better care of the women in these cases, we should also be thinking the bystanders in these cases should have done more to either disrupt the men's predatory behavior, or, recognized the men were also placing themselves in a vulnerable or compromising position. In the second case, even the bartender exhibited more concern for the woman than did any of her associates. Bottom line, the shipmates of the women and men in these cases failed to intervene, failed to take action and the results were disastrous.

"Consider how you would feel if on a search and rescue case you failed to take action when you could have and, as a result, someone died. Now consider how you would feel if your son or daughter or brother or sister was the victim in the cases you just read about, and none of their friends or shipmates took action to prevent the assault," said Shawn Wren, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program manager for the Coast Guard. "We must remember that all victims are someone's sister or daughter, brother or son. As a service, we need to know that sexual assault is preventable when bystanders intervene. You can safely make a difference by intervening in a potential sexual assault by distracting or redirecting the potential offender or working as a team with other bystanders to separate someone exhibiting predatory behavior from a person who appears vulnerable. You can help prevent sexual assault by creating a culture of mutual respect at your unit and by engaging the command."

As Coast Guardsmen, we are asked to have the courage to go into harm's way to save lives, defend our nation and defend our way of life. We need to exhibit that same courage in addressing sexual assault. It takes courage to say, "That's enough booze for one night," or, "I think you both need some help getting home, let me see you there safely." It takes courage to step in and tell a shipmate what they are doing is wrong and it's time to back off. It takes courage to be the leader your shipmates need and deserve. It's time for a gut check, do you have that courage?

If you have been, or think you may have been, sexually assaulted, contact your sexual assault response coordinator, or call the Safe Helpline at 1-877-995-5247. Information about reporting options and resources for survivors of sexual assault can be found on the U.S. Coast Guard Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program website.

 

Submitted by:

DCAPT David G. Porter, Sector NY/S
1st Southern Region

CG Commandant Talks Budget, Readiness and Retention

 

It's been 4½ years since Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp took the helm of the service, and each year, he said, he's declared it the service's worst budget year yet.

This year is no different.

Papp discussed how the service would deal with its shrinking cash allowance — what cuts could be coming, what missions could change and where Coasties could feel the financial pinch in their daily duties — during an interview for "This Week in Defense News with Vago Muradian." Some highlights:

'Worst year yet'

This year's sequestration cuts and government shutdown put yet more pressure on Coast Guardsmen to carry out missions on a tight budget.

"I've been right every year. Each year has gotten worse," Papp said of the budget. "It makes it very difficult to plan, to train, to keep people motivated and prepared to go out and do very dangerous things."

Papp said that his service needs about $2 billion a year to continue carrying out missions and maintain an economical ordering quantity for its acquisition projects, but that he's been making do with $1.3 billion the past several years.

"If we start going below $1.3 billion, I have to start cutting programs, and that's the situation that I find myself in," he said.

Maintaining the force

Despite the threat of deeper cuts, Papp said he's committed to keeping the Coast Guard at its current size. The service has worked its way back up to 42,000 uniformed personnel, Papp said, up from 36,000 following cuts in the mid-to-late 1990s.

Because Papp wants to "hold on to as many people as possible," he said, cuts would have to come from somewhere else — but that strategy won't last forever.

"So when you try to balance the recapitalization, construction projects, keep your people, keep them happy, keep them trained and then spend money on operations, at a certain point, you get to that tipping point where you have no other alternative other than to start cutting people or start cutting projects," he said. "And I think we're at that point now."

'Last in, first out'

So, if he had to cut something, where would he start?

"An easy thing would be to say, 'Last in, first out.' " Papp said. "We have a large icebreaker program that has been introduced now to build a new polar icebreaker. That was the last one in; that would cost, at the high side, $1 billion to build that icebreaker."

It would be the third in the Coast Guard's active polar fleet, designed to break up polar ice while patrolling the Arctic.

Leasing such ships from another agency or private entity wouldn't solve the service's problems, Papp said.

"Looking at the way that we train, we equip, and the proviso, the dependability that we need, we need to own that icebreaker so that we can use it for all United States sovereign interests," he said.

And, he added, leasing takes money from the budget.

"At the end of that lease, you own nothing, and you've spent a lot of money," he said. "I'd rather own that icebreaker."

Mission control

There was also a suggestion that the Coast Guard pare its mission load. Each year, the Department of Homeland Security evaluates the service on its 23 statutory missions — the recently released 2012 report found that the service met only 11 of its goals, with a 27 percent grade for overall readiness.

According to the report, much of that readiness gap comes from the aging cutter fleet. Papp said that once the national security cutter fleet is complete — four of eight planned ships have been christened so far — he can get to work on 25 new offshore patrol cutters to replace the 33 aging medium endurance cutters in service.

Some have suggested doing away with aids to navigation, Papp said, including buoy and lighting maintenance to guide mariners. However, he said, money allocated to that mission wouldn't go to other Coast Guard missions — it would simply be recycled into the federal budget, likely for private contractors to maintain those aids.

As the Coast Guard's missions are assigned by law, Papp said, it would take legislation to adjust them. For now, his options are limited.

"What I can do is reduce the level of effort in each one of those mission areas until someone tells me I don't have to do a mission anymore," he said.

Despite the constraints, Papp said, he's confident the Coast Guard will find a way to make it all work.

"I tend to be a very optimistic guy. ... I know what this service needs, and so far we've been successful and we'll continue pressing ahead," he said.

By Meghann Myers 
Staff writer - The Navy Times

 

DCAPT David G. Porter, Sector NY/S
1st Southern Region